How to Check Your SASSA Balance

Each method notes where the information comes from.

ATM. Insert your card, enter your PIN and choose balance enquiry. Postbank's SASSA card page lists one ATM balance enquiry as free each month. After any ATM transaction, Postbank says, you get a slip showing what you did and your available balance. Other banks' ATMs can charge for a balance enquiry, and their rules are their own. Source: Postbank's SASSA card page.

SMS. Postbank says you can send the word BAL and the last four digits of your account number to 32302 to receive your balance by SMS. It costs R1.00 an SMS, according to Postbank's page. The cellphone number must match the contact details Postbank holds for you, and the account number, not the card number, is what it asks for. Source: Postbank's SMS balance page.

Phone. Postbank's call centre is 0800 53 54 55, toll-free. Source: Postbank's SMS balance page.

Your bank's app. If your grant is paid into a bank account other than Postbank, your bank's own app or ATM shows the balance. Postbank's SASSA card page and its SMS enquiry page mention no app. Source: banks generally, not any one app.

For a USSD route, only use a code your bank or Postbank gives you. A wrong code can lead to a scam line, so ask on 0800 53 54 55.

There is no card balance to check. The status checker takes you to the official portal, where you see whether the month is approved and whether a payment date has been set. SASSA said in a November 2025 statement that a payment follows from the next pay run once your banking details have verified. Your money goes into the bank account you gave, so your balance is at your bank.

• The balance is zero after your payment date The payment may not have been released or it may have been returned. Payment not received sets out what to check.
• The card is blocked SAnews reported a 31 August 2026 deadline for switching to the Postbank Black Card, and said Gold Cards will no longer function once the move is done. The gold card guide explains what to do if your card no longer works.
• The SMS is rejected It usually means the phone number doesn't match Postbank's records.
• You can't get through Call 0800 53 54 55. For SASSA itself, the numbers are on the contact page.

Never give your PIN or card to anyone who offers to check your balance for you. SASSA says it never asks for your PIN.

Back at manage your SASSA grant, you can find other tasks.